Water conduits used particularly in commercial aircraft have a tendency to freeze at high altitude and/or when the aircraft is parked in a cold climate. As a consequence, it is often necessary to heat or drain these water conduits.
As a rule, for heating items known as heater bands are used, which may comprise two conductors, a semiconductor situated between the two conductors, and an insulation layer, and which are arranged parallel to the pipelines in several sections. Installing these heater bands is often time-consuming and the operation must be performed by properly trained technical personnel.
DE 197 26 419 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,483 describe heating conductor connection systems in an aircraft.